The Landing of Columbus

This painting is an oil sketch for the Landing of Columbus in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol. Winning a commission from Congress meant a great deal to nineteenth-century artists because, as well as ensuring their reputation, it allowed them to play a part in shaping the nation's history. This painting shows the moment, on October 12, 1492, when Columbus and his men landed on the island of San Salvador and claimed all of the New World for Spain.

Luce Object Quote

"My picture in the Rotunda is admitted to be inferior to none, if not superior." The artist, 1839, quoted in Schoonmaker, John Vanderlyn, Artist, 1775-1852; A Biography, 1950